Thu, 14 Dec 2017 05:23:38 -0500WeeblySun, 12 Nov 2017 13:38:37 GMThttp://joshlubarr.weebly.com/good-things-around-boston/middle-temple-londonAs a Shakespeare devotee, I had the good fortune to visit Middle Temple hall in London. Middle Temple is one of the four Inns of Court, and hosted a performance of Twelfth Night -- by the Lord Chamberlain's men -- in 1602. Some believe that this was the first performance of that play and that the play itself as we know it was written or modified for Middle Temple.

One of the things that makes Middle Temple notable now is that it is one of the few places where Shakespeare's company performed that still exist. While it is possible to see the foundations of the Rose Playhouse (and it is very much worthwhile to do so), Middle Temple is different insofar as it is intact (or at least intact and painstakingly reconstructed from war damage).

The photos below are of the east end of the hall, which includes the balcony. One can easily imagine how the Lord Chamberlain's men would have used this end of the hall as a performance space. On the other hand, it is commonly held that the performance was in the middle of the hall.

]]>Sun, 31 Jul 2016 02:39:49 GMThttp://joshlubarr.weebly.com/good-things-around-boston/manor-park-larchmont-nyManor Park, in Larchmont, New York, is a beautiful park that runs along the Long Island Sound. Here are a couple of pictures that I took there recently of a spot at one end, known as "the umbrella."

]]>Fri, 12 Jun 2015 23:10:50 GMThttp://joshlubarr.weebly.com/good-things-around-boston/the-mapparium-at-the-mary-baker-eddy-libraryMuch to my amazement, I've never written down that the Mapparium is a really interesting place to visit. For a while, this was the first place I would recommend for people visiting Boston. It's unique, and prior to its restoration, one could hang around in it for as one wanted, if one were so inclined, or interested in its rather unusual characteristics.

And what are those characteristics?

First, it's a giant glass globe, and by giant, I mean that it's three stories tall. There's a clear bridge across the middle, from which you can look around.

Second, because it's glass, the acoustics are very unusual -- it's a very bouncy space, which means that you and a friend can whisper to each other from across the space and hear each other by using the acoustics, or not hear each other when you'd usually expect to.

Third, because it was built in the 1930's, it represents the countries and political boundaries of the 1930's. It's a political snapshot of a moment from decades ago, and that appeals to me for the same reason I enjoy looking at old encyclopedias -- here's how "they" saw the world "then." So it's got that going for it, which is nice.

The one thing that I don't like about it is that, since the renovation, they've made some changes. They added a multimedia show to it, which is not as cool as the space itself, and they limit the amount of time that you can spend there -- and it's not as if I ever wanted to be there for an hour, but it's fun to do little acoustic experiments at your own pace after others have come and gone. Now, everyone comes in, gets the presentation, checks it out for a few minutes, and goes. (I've heard the same thing about the Scrovegni chapel. What gives?)

Still, definitely worth a visit, as the many people I've taken there would surely attest.